Many homes and buildings are constructed with pitched roof design. The roofs of such buildings are generally covered by asbestos, tile, wooden shingles, metal sheeting, or some other type of roof covering. In the areas of the world where snow accumulations are experienced, it will be apparent that most often there is a necessity for removing such accumulations of snow from building roofs, particularly in colder climates.
Because building roofs are not perfect heat insulators, heat escaping from heated buildings tends to melt snow immediately adjacent the shingles or the roof covering, resulting in water from the melted snow running downward to the eaves and into the gutters and downspouts, where the lower periphery of such roof generally is not subject to heat loss from within the house. Because of freezing conditions usually present at this eaves surface, water freezing in the eaves, gutters, and downspouts tend to force other melted water to back upwardly onto the roof eaves where freezing conditions form an ice dam which in turn causes additional melted snow water to back up on the roof. In the areas of such roof where heat loss occurs, this melted water seeps under the shingles where it can and often does cause leaks in the roof. These leaks can and sometimes do cause serious damage, not only to the roof as such but also to the internal walls, ceilings, and floor coverings, because of the snow accumulations on such roof. Melted snow water seeps under the shingles, both as a result of heat escaping through the roof of such heated building, or thawing daytime temperatures alternating with subzero conditions at night.
Various types of electrical heating devices, such as heat tapes and the like, have been installed to minimize the freezing of water in the eaves, gutters, and downspouts as a means to prevent the above mentioned ice dams from forming. Because such heating devices provide only heat sufficient to melt snow or ice immediately adjacent such tapes, the ice can continue to form, causing the melted snow water to back up and seep under the shingles, thus rendering such heating systems as ineffective.
It is thus generally necessary to mechanically remove the snow from the roof. Prior art attempts to reduce the risks of snow shoveling from roofs include the portable tool for removing snow from pitched roofs disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,767. The device is operated from the ground and has a square U-shaped body and wheels or skids that roll the body up the roof cutting through a square section of snow as it progresses. When the device is at the peak of the roof, a flat blade portion of the body rotates upward to create a broad surface that pushes the snow down the roof as the shoveller pulls the device down the roof. This type of device requires a force to push the body through the snow on the upward pass and a greater force to pull the device and packed snow down the roof on the downward pass.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,375 discloses another fixed blade type of roof snow shovel where the blade would have to be lifted over the snow to the roof peak, dropped down into the snow, and then pulled down the roof pushing the snow down with the blade. Again, this is an inefficient and tiring method.
It will be recognized that another means of snow removal from roofs includes the standard snow shovel, which has been in use for many years and continues to be the tool most often implemented for the removal of snow from roofs. While the snow shovel has been an effective method for removing snow from roofs, shoveling snow embodies risks to the user of such devices, such as strains from lifting the shovel and strokes or heart attacks from over-exertion, as well as the ever present danger of falling off the roof because of the slippery conditions, nearly always present throughout the entire snow removal process.
The above cited health risks become more apparent in the case of the elderly or those persons who have known health problems or those who, for one reason or another, are not physically conditioned for such strenuous undertakings.
It is the general object of the present invention to provide a means for safe, effective, and efficient removal of snow accumulations from building roofs which have been designed as single or multiple story structures. It will become apparent as the ensuing discussion develops that the present invention is constructed of materials light in weight, portable, easy to disassemble for storage or shipment, and safe for the elderly to operate as well as persons younger, stronger, and more agile. This device is designed more particularly for snow removal from inclined roofs. The operator can stand at ground level, use a ladder leaned against the building roofs eaves, or stand on a self-supporting ladder placed a few feet outwardly from the base of the building. Also, on a shallow-pitched roof, an operator can stand on the roof top either in the snow accumulations or straddling the ridge of the roof. Removal of snow from roofs is accomplished by pushing upwards on the tool when on the ground or pulling upwards on the snow removal tool when standing on the roof. In either of the aforementioned positions, the device effectively overcomes the disadvantages of prior art, i.e. extra force or lifting is required in both directions of the shovelling motion. This snow removal device is both easy to use and safe for those persons who are generally in good health and active enough to be able to position themselves on a roof or stand on a ladder, or else stand on the ground while operating the device.